Power Grid Emergency Declared In PA: What It Means – Patch

Power Grid Emergency Declared In PA: What It Means  Patch

Officials hope the move helps prevent blackouts as the grid faces extreme strain. Authorities have issued an emergency declaration in anticipation of an energy shortage in 13 states around the mid-Atlantic and midwest, including Pennsylvania, according to a federal announcement this week. The Department of Energy's declaration comes in the midst of rising electricity demand in a swath of the country, caused partially by warmer temperatures and increased overnight air conditioner use, officials said. That increased use is coinciding with the additional strain placed by scheduled maintenance, typically planned for autumn when demand is usually much lower than it is right now. PJM, the regional organization that coordinates electricity across much of the country, requested the emergency order from the DOE.

The order allows power plants to run backup generators for longer periods of time and to exceed pollution and exhaust limits, with the goal of preventing breaks in electrical service and blackouts. Blackouts are not widely anticipated or imminent, the Department of Energy said, noting that the move was a precaution. It comes amid ongoing controversy over the strain placed on the electrical grid by artificial intelligence data centers, and calls for a several year moratorium on constructing new data centers so that impacts on the grid can be fully evaluated. “This order will help ensure millions of American